The purported death of Boko Haram leader – Imam Abubakar Shekau – if confirmed could make dialogue with the sect easier, according to the Arewa Consultative Forum.
ACF, in a statement issued in Kaduna yesterday by its spokesman Anthony Sani, noted that the Joint Task Force (JTF) was not categorical about Shekau’s death.
“If confirmed, the death could ease the path to constructive engagements with the sect, considering the reports that Sheik Shekau has been the sand bag on the path of the dialogue,” he said.
“This is more so that the reported killing cannot reasonably be expected to put an end to the activities of the insurgents, especially when regard is paid to the fact that the death of Osama Bin Laden did not mark the end of Al-Qaeda.
“Consider that America has closed 19 of its diplomatic missions in the Middle East and North Africa in an effort to avoid possible terrorist attack after intercepting communications between successors of Osama Bin Laden, namely, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s successor,and Nasser al-Wuhayshi who is leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
“This kind of response contradicts America’s previous claims that Al-Qaeda had been weakened to the brink of defeat due to the death of Osama Bin Laden.
“So the government of Nigeria should learn from that as well as from killing of first leader of Boko Haram and pursue its strategy of stick and carrot. The reported death of Sheik Shekau should not bring about any sense of complacency.”
